


Soaring to Greater Heights

by Fish71022, shadowspirit (Phoenix7)



Series: Flying Without Wings [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon GO
Genre: Action/Adventure, And The World Will Turn To Ash (Pokemon Fan Comic), Coming of Age, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 16:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12709065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fish71022/pseuds/Fish71022, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix7/pseuds/shadowspirit
Summary: the longest and most difficult journeys are always the most worth itthe harder they put you down, the higher you’ll fly - the higher you’ll soar





	1. turbulence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fish71022](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fish71022/gifts).



TRAINER: CANDELA  
BADGES: 4  
LOCATION: SAFFRON CITY  
The huge dome ahead of her was silver, glowing in the sunlight. She could feel her heart beating faster with every step she took, holding her badge case in her hand, her Flareon bounding along beside her. They said that the leader of the Saffron City gym was tough - but not just tough. They said that she was not only exceedingly talented, but exceedingly unpredictable. Some said she was psycho, others admired her for her psychic abilities and polished battling.  
The curved sliding doors of the dome, that fit exactly into the contour of the rest of the building, slid open at her touch, revealing a dim passageway that seemed to be covered entirely in dark purple velvet. The light emanating from Flareon’s fur was the only source of light present, illuminating a small figure a short distance away that looked like a ghost.  
At closer examination, the figure proved to be a young girl, her long, pale blond hair loose down her back, making her huge grey eyes seem even more ghostly. Her eyes moved over Candela and Flareon, and she said softly, “Are you a challenger?”  
“Yes…” Candela said slowly, a little shocked by her strange appearance. Other than her hair and eyes, she was wearing a purple uniform reminiscent of the Japanese kimono, which seemed to blend almost seamlessly into the hallway. She was wearing jet black shoes that greatly contrasted her pale skin, enhancing the ghost motif. To tell the truth, the entire outfit seemed more like a Halloween getup than anything.  
“Follow me,” the girl continued in the same plodding, whispery tones.  
Candela followed, marvelling at how the entire hallway seemed to be lit up, even with the absence of visible lamps or lightbulbs. The girl was in front of her, with Flareon bringing up the rear. Only her own footsteps and the sound of Flareon’s paws thumping along behind her could be heard - the girl’s feet never seemed to touch the ground.  
The arena must have been right in the centre of the dome - its ceiling was high, curved, and let in filtered light through the dome’s transparent glass panels. The strangest thing about it was that there were no seats around the side of the arena. In other gyms she’d been to, rows of seats lined the sides of the room where battles were conducted, for other members of a trainer’s travelling party to watch the battle. Apart from her, Flareon and the weird mysterious girl, it was empty.  
“The gym leader is not present,” the girl observed quietly.  
“Yeah, that’s weird,” Candela replied. But seeming like she didn’t hear a thing, the girl turned around to look at each pathway leading out of the arena.  
“Wait here,” she said, finally stopping. “The gym leader will be present soon - most likely.”  
“Not very specific, was she?” Candela murmured to Flareon as the girl left, her hair trailing out behind her.  
“Flare!” it agreed, curling up near Candela, its bushy tail brushing against the edge of the arena.

There was something there. She wasn’t sure where. It seemed to be tangible, in the very air around her. A harsh wind blew, buffeting her hair and clothes, both ice cold and warm. A strange echo seemed to hum in her ears, the tune never clear, but always as untameable as the storm brewing in the distance. She was so close… so close to this. It would be a breakthrough, for sure, a huge leap forward. The only problem was the risk of terrible consequences, which was why she needed the help of her partner, Alakazam. Well, actually, one of two problems - the other being that, by and large, Alakazam deeply disapproved of trying to see into the future, and showed it.  
And as though she did really predict the future, the obstinate Pokemon chose to be distracted right at that crucial moment. It had sensed someone, and without its support, the almost-real image blurred before her eyes, fading away to reveal the dark room she had been in, and a young girl standing nervously at the door.  
“A challenger has arrived, Leader,” she said anxiously.  
“Now is not a good time…” she muttered, thinking about what she had seen before being interrupted. It was almost addictive, the feeling of knowing that something would happen, before anyone else knew, before it actually happened… almost. But that didn’t stop her mind from wandering back to the short vision, as though now, after being snatched away from that dreamlike state, it craved to return there.  
_You know that the rules of the League state that a gym leader may not refuse a challenger if they are able to battle._ Of course, it was Alakazam.  
“I know the rules as well as you, thank you,” she said irritably. “Where is this challenger?” This last sentence was addressed to the girl, who had been hovering near the door, unsure.  
“Oh - in the battle arena.” The girl, looking very relieved, disappeared soon after.  
_Are you certain, though, that you fit the criteria of ‘able to battle’?_ The tone was teasing, though she detected a hint of displeasure. Apparently, it was still holding a grudge against her. She returned it to its Pokeball halfway down the corridor.  
_Don’t you know that I can speak to you still?_ Now, it sounded amused - at her perceived stupidity, she supposed.  
“Yes,” she replied, “but you’re less irritating when you’re not physically there too.”

The gym leader of Saffron City was younger than Candela had expected, looking hardly older than herself. Her name, if Candela remembered correctly, was Sabrina. She had long and straight black hair that reached down to her waist, and very pale skin. Her eyes were shadowed by her fringe, and she was wearing a black dress that seemed to ripple even though there was no wind.  
“I am Sabrina, the gym leader of the Saffron City Gym. And you, I presume, are Candela.”  
“Right….” Candela said, acknowledging the fact that it was her name, though she had no clue how Sabrina had known it.  
“You look unprepared,” was the next, not very encouraging observation. “It was unwise to challenge me without going through some training beforehand.”  
Candela couldn’t figure out, for the life of her, what was going on with Sabrina, and why is she always right about me?! True, she had trained, but definitely not specially against psychic attacks, and she had come here three days in advance out of impatience and excitement.  
“Trained or not, I’m here to win,” she said as confidently as she could muster, tilting her chin upwards.  
Sabrina raised an eyebrow. “Fine then. I am not one for battling, but if you like, I will show you my power!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why Saffron Gym? Isn’t Goldenrod Gym harder to beat? Why not Viridian Gym, too? Maybe it was just out of randomness, but no. No coincidences.


	2. files:/documents:/lock?-passed/“NO.73”, KANTO, ORANGE ISLANDS, JOHTO/

Section 1. A Brief Introduction  
A long time ago, further back than most civilians remember, the Kanto region, Orange Islands And Johto region were, politically, classified as one region, known as ‘Chowa’, or ‘harmony’. This rather fragile harmony was maintained by a pair of Pokemon, known in legends as the Golden and Silver Twins, and have the scientific names of Ho-oh and Lugia respectively.  
Other than these two Pokemon, there were eight other Pokemon in the region that were classified as ‘legendary’ - that is, the rarest, most powerful, and most mysterious of all the Pokemon. This was, of course, before the artificial alteration of the genes from a Mew to create the Pokemon Mewtwo (for further information on this subject, read “NO. 47”, KANTO). Out of these eight, six of them formed two elemental trios, each related closely to either Ho-oh or Lugia. Thus begins the legends of the Golden and Silver Twins, the Pokemon responsible for most of the harmony that exists today.  
The Golden Twin, Ho-oh, is perhaps the more elusive of the two, said to only appear to those with pure hearts. Those who have seen it describe it as a huge, mainly red, birdlike creature, with golden plumes on its head, and a large tail of multicoloured feathers. It is known to form rainbows in the sky at its approach, and the legends say that those who are fortunate enough to be visited by Ho-oh will be granted eternal happiness.  
Ho-oh is most well-known for its involvement in the legend of the Bell Tower, originating from Ecruteak City in today’s Johto region (for other details about this Pokemon, see “NO.28”, JOHTO). The legend goes like this, beginning in Ecruteak City before the destruction of the old Bell Tower (this is a shortened and summarised version of the actual legend. For the full story, go to “NO. 36”, JOHTO).  
“ _When the Bell Tower was still standing in Ecruteak City, the people and Pokemon were living in harmony. Ho-oh would often visit its perch atop the Bell Tower, now known in Johto as the Burnt Tower, to watch the people as they and their Pokemon worked together. However, this harmony did not last for long. Soon, groups of people, greedy for money and power, began exploiting Pokemon for evil purposes. It could not have been a coincidence that a huge lightning bolt struck the Bell Tower on the same day that the first criminal organisation using Pokemon was officially formed. However, there were three Pokemon who perished in the destruction of the tower (now said, after careful research, to be a Jolteon, Flareon and Vaporeon - see ‘The Pokemon of the Rainbow Feathers’ by Eusine of the Johto region, a researcher on this legend as well as the Pokemon involved in it). The Pokemon were never proved to have died in the flames, for they were not rescued, and no reports of missing Pokemon have been discovered in relation to that event. The legend, however, states that Ho-oh resurrected the three Pokemon into Raikou, Entei and Suicune (for more details about these Pokemon, see “NO.38”, “NO.39” and “NO.40”, JOHTO, respectively). Raikou, classified as an electric type Pokemon, embodies the lightning that struck the tower, and is believed to have been resurrected from Jolteon. Entei, the fire type Pokemon of the trio, represents the flames that burnt the tower down, and was most likely resurrected from Flareon. Suicune, the final Pokemon out of the three, and a water-type, symbolises the rain that, later, put the flames out. It is said to be resurrected from Vaporeon. After the legendary elemental trio were created, they fled the area. Some say it was because they knew how powerful they had become. Others have a different answer. To tell the truth, though, no one knows to this day why the trio is roaming around Johto. It is known, though, that after they left, Ho-oh soon followed. Although another tower was constructed in Ecruteak City to replace the one that burnt down, and many efforts have been made to re-build the same harmony between people and Pokemon, Ho-oh has never returned._ ”  
Ho-oh’s counterpart Lugia, or the Silver Twin, has slightly more recorded sightings. Lugia is known to reside in the Orange Archipelago, alongside the elemental bird trio. It appears, like Ho-oh, to those with pure intentions, but will also rise from its home in the depths of the oceans if the balance of the Orange Islands is disrupted. It is more reptilian than Ho-oh, with a white body, large, hand-like wings, and scales lining its back that can be extended or retracted. Other Lugia have been seen in the Johto region, leading to the conclusion that more than one Lugia exists (for more details about this Pokemon, see “NO.29, JOHTO”).  
The legend of Lugia below has been obtained from old records of the residents living on Shamouti Island, who revere and study the legendary Pokemon residing near them. Some details have been omitted in order to effectively summarise the legend (for the full legend, go to “NO.37”, JOHTO).  
“ _The legend begins with discovery of a prophecy, cast in bronze on a plaque that sits on a small island shrine just beside the location of Lugia’s home. It states, in short, that the balance formed by Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos cannot be disturbed, or great peril would befall the nearby regions (the map of all regions, as well as some details on Pokemon seen there, can be found in “Atlas of a Journey”, written by one Pokemon trainer known as Joey). However, as the legend goes, if this harmony is somehow disturbed, unity and balance can be restored with the help of a special song sung by Lugia, the frequencies of which have been proven to be able to calm Pokemon. This song, when coupled with the placing of three spheres from each of the Islands of Fire, Ice and Lightning in designated spots on the central shrine, can produce a magical effect that is reputed to be able to not only calm the most agitated of Pokemon, but also to heal most, if not all, of their injuries. It had been the tradition of the people of Shamouti Island to conduct an annual ceremony paying homage to these four legendary Pokemon, and to do that, they would send a Trainer present at the event to each of these three islands to obtain the three spheres, which are believed to contain the spirit of the three Legendary birds. The birds are extremely territorial, and it is a tradition from which not everyone has returned alive. If the orbs and Lugia’s song are united, though, healing water is believed to flow from a stone structure in the centre of the main shrine. This water has no scientific records, even though it is said by the Shamouti people that there was once a courageous Pokemon Trainer who managed to gather all the orbs, and when coupled with the song of the Guardian (as Lugia is known to the Shamouti people), the healing water flowed out from the shrine, and the balance between the elements of Fire, Ice and Lightning was restored. Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos flew back to their island homes, and the underwater current flowing through the Orange Islands was calmed. The current, or the Beast of the Sea, had been tamed, and Lugia returned to its home beneath the waves._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hacked from a certain future researcher’s extensive database... otherwise classified information


	3. ashes

Sabrina’s first Pokemon has been Venomoth. A huge Venomoth, too, its feelers hyper-sensitive to every movement and ruffling Candela’s hair with every beat of its wings. Her Charizard easily matched it for size, though, and it had a huge type advantage. Nevertheless, Venomoth’s Psybeam was an equal match for Charizard’s Flamethrower, and Bug Buzz and Fire Blast struggled against each other. The match ended in a draw.  
Sabrina’s second Pokemon was Abra, which, although looking small and rather cute, had a dangerous and often unpredictable battle strategy. Battling an opponent like this - one who could disappear and reappear at will, who could bend attacks away from it and back to the attacker - was exhilarating. Candela’s second Pokemon, Houndour, was fortunate to have the massive type advantage, and it was a very close draw. If Sabrina’s concentration hadn’t slipped for just a second, Houndour would have been reduced to ashes. The slip-up was momentary, nearly passing unnoticed, but Candela couldn’t help but think that maybe she would not be able to accept the Marsh Badge, even if she won. She was, despite her young age, a seasoned trainer, and could easily spot when an opponent was not battling to their full potential. And though she usually won such battles, she felt bad for beating these trainers. Sabrina was a gym leader, though. It was part of a gym leader’s duty to allow a trainer to win if they deemed it fit. Perhaps she had slipped up on purpose, so that they would be evenly matched in the last battle. Satisfied with this explanation, her mind focused back on the battle, and she recalled Houndour to its Pokeball.  
This was it, then. It was time for the last battle. The deciding battle. Candela has a hunch that Sabrina was going to send out her Alakazam - it had popped out of its Pokeball at the beginning of the battle to watch, and the gym leader had not stopped it - it seemed like Sabrina’s partner Pokemon, and a tough opponent to boot. And sure enough, when the ghost-like girl, who was acting as the battle judge, called for the Pokemon being used to be sent onto the field, Alakazam took its place in the battle arena. But instead of facing Candela, as it should have, it turned around to face its trainer, shooting her a rather withering yet still concerned look.  
Sabrina’s eyes were closed, any remaining colour steadily draining from her face. Her head drooped slightly, and she looked like she was about to faint. Then, suddenly, her body went rigid, snapping back into its previous position. Her eyes flew open, and they were glowing blue - so bright and pulsating that Candela instinctively tried to shield her eyes. But to her horror, she found that she could not move an inch. Her Flareon, whom she had sent out for battle, was standing frozen too, its teal eyes darting all over the place in panic. Right at the edge of her field of vision, she saw the young girl disappearing. She realised that she had been staring directly into Sabrina’s eyes.  
Her vision flickered and blurred, then a sharp spasm of pain shot through her head - and she was sucked into a swirling, blue vortex.  
For a while, Candela could see nothing. Only angry screeches of Pokemon could be heard. Slowly, an image formed. She was on a small island in the sea (it looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it). Gradually, she realised that there were two others with her. And although she could not see either of them clearly, her frazzled mind vaguely registered that one of them seemed to slightly resemble Sabrina. Only the harsh winds and equally harsh Pokemon cries screamed into Candela’s ears, until a completely different note was carried into the wind. It was higher than any other sound present, with a sweet, ringing tone that could echo for miles. Somehow, she knew that the song came from an instrument, and that she had heard the name of the song somewhere before.  
The music filled her ears, sweet, gentle and calming. Candela could feel so light, as if all her troubles and worries had just faded away. She was beginning to lose herself in the music and was sorely tempted to stay there forever.  
But what she saw next would make her change her mind.  
A Pokemon rose out of the choppy waves, glistening with unparalleled beauty. It had a pure silver body, with deep blue scales along its spine. Its eyes were soft and kind, and sunlight bounced off it in dancing rays, creating an aura that could only be described as magnificent. Its large, hand-like wings beat very quietly, almost without making a single sound. It called out, matching the notes of the song perfectly, its voice majestic, but still clear and bright.

All of a sudden, it was as though the whole world had been plunged into depression. The Pokemon’s song died down into a cry of pain, and the instrument fell onto the ground with a clatter.  
Huge nets had been thrown over the Pokemon with exact precision, trapping it. As it plummeted back into the sea, struggling hopelessly, metal bars descended upon it, imprisoning it in a strong force field. Against its will, it was carried upwards, a process made jerky by its constant thrashing, which formed long cuts across its body from the sharp nets, which gorged its silver skin and caused crimson blood to trickle from its wounds and turn the sea beneath it red. Finally, its eyes fluttered shut, and it was still. Even in unconsciousness, its expression was twisted in agony, wrenching Candela’s heart.  
There was a sound, like someone sucking in their breath, and quiet sobs became the only sound breaking the otherwise complete silence. It was a sound which, in normal circumstances, Candela would have found profoundly irritating, but all this crying did was bring fresh tears to her eyes.  
The next moment, a new sound echoed throughout the Islands, masking the crying as well as the distress calls of Pokemon, pounding against Candela’s brain with a burning insistence, making her hair stand up and her blood boil. It was high-pitched, loud and nasal, a screeching, cackling sound that was more triumphant than anything, its volume hitching louder with every second.  
It was laughter.  
The voice swirled around her brain, muddling her senses and dulling all her feelings except anger. It suddenly occurred to her that the Pokemon must have been extremely rare, and therefore, extremely valuable. Its exquisite beauty alone would have made it the treasure of the region, but more so were its kindness and the joy filled in its voice as it sang its song. Beside her, there was a harsh whisper, one filled with pain and regret.  
“ _Alone its song will fail, and thus the world will turn … to ash…_ ”  
Then another voice sounded in her head, urgent and commanding, but yet quiet at the same time.  
_Candela. Challenger to the Saffron Gym of Kanto. I know you’re there. You_ must _wake. There is no time to lose._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end... or not.


	4. flow

The hand that closed on Blanche’s shoulder was small and light, definitely not that of an adult. Nevertheless, she turned, Pidgeotto stiffening on its perch atop her arm. There were a couple of footsteps, and a girl appeared. She looked no older than Blanche, and there was something familiar about her cropped, brilliant orange hair and sparkling blue-green eyes. She was wearing a short-sleeved pale yellow tank top and denim shorts that were  _ way too short _ , and a light blue jacket with azure blue cuffs. 

“You’re Misty. Leader of the Cerulean Gym.” It wasn’t a question. The girl looked taken aback for a moment, then she laughed.

“That’s right. Are you Blanche? I was looking for you.” She had a clear, slightly bossy voice, and showed no doubt that Blanche was, indeed, the one she had been looking for. But why? 

“I want to battle you.” Misty’s reasons became clear immediately. She had already extracted a Pokeball from her red knapsack, and was striding away to a nearby clearing. Blanche followed her, considering her options. Pidgeotto would be a good match-up, but another battle would cause it to evolve, which could not happen until it had learnt Aerial Ace. Metapod wasn’t cut out to be a battler, and wouldn’t be until it had fully evolved. Which left her with Eevee. Eevee, and the Water Stone in her pocket that she couldn’t bring herself to use.

But then again, she wasn’t a trainer. Why did Misty want to battle her? 

Again, the vivacious gym leader explained herself. Apparently, it had something to do with the fact that Blanche had been challenged by one of the trainers from Cerulean Gym. She couldn’t remember anyone who had explicitly stated that they were from the gym, nor had she set foot into the huge pyramid-like gym when she passed through Cerulean City. She did, however, recognise the description of the young girl in a pink striped swimsuit, who had been swimming near the Nugget Bridge. Just like now, she hadn’t had any idea of why the girl had chosen to challenge her, only that she had run towards the direction of the city when she lost. It was an unfortunate habit with trainers, really, Blanche reflected, for their need to battle whenever one locked eyes with them resulted in an awful lot of casualties for their Pokemon. Besides, it wasn’t like one had bumped into them - they seemed to be milling about everywhere, with no other purpose but to challenge everyone who came by, and more often than not, lose quite bitterly.

But Misty was a gym leader, and they were a different class altogether. It was a great honour to be chosen as a gym leader, and only those among the best could lead a gym. Whatever the end result of the battle, she would not be an easy opponent. That was for sure. She betrayed none of this, though, as she faced the girl who wasn’t much older or taller than herself.

“Let’s see who’ll win this! Come on out, Staryu!” So she hadn’t chosen her strongest Pokemon. How strange. What  _ was _ this girl plotting? Surely she wasn’t going to force her way through the battle? It would greatly tire out her Pokemon, and besides, there were smarter ways.

“Fine with me,” she replied carefully, betraying none of her surprise. “Eevee. Time to play.”

Her first Pokemon and closest friend appeared, its eyes glittering with determination and cunning. For ‘play’ didn’t mean that they would win. All it meant, was that being in a Pokemon battle was like playing chess, only that this time, both the player and the pieces had minds of their own. Eevee knew perfectly well that it was allowed to make any move it chose, and could disobey its trainer without abandon, as long as it got out of any scrapes alive. But for now, it sat innocently before the opponent, sizing both trainer and Pokemon up, and not for an instant did Misty or Staryu expect that this cute and tiny furball had more than one trick up its sleeve (or fur).

The battle began without much fanfare, with Staryu using Water Gun. Doing a quick scan of the battle area, Blanche traced out a path that Eevee could take in order to dodge….

A high squeak sounded as the attack hit its mark, and Eevee was knocked down. Blanche’s head snapped up, frowning, and commanded, “Eevee! Quick Attack, now!” Eevee streaked across the field, leaving a bright white blur behind it. But Misty was unfazed. 

“Rapid Spin!” Staryu jumped up and began spinning in a blur of colours, the red gem in its centre glowing with health.

The two attacks collided, and both Pokemon were thrown to the ends of the clearing. Dirt from the muddy ground matted Eevee’s fur, and Staryu’s gem flickered. But they both struggled to their feet, determined to continue the battle.

Misty was first to call out the next attack. “Staryu, Water Gun!” But this time, Blanche was ready for it. 

“Quick Attack! Go behind Misty.” Eevee obeyed without hesitation, dodging Staryu, who was following it with Water Gun, and landing lightly behind Misty. Staryu, unwilling to shoot any attacks at its trainer, stopped, the remains of Water Gun splashing onto the ground in a rather forlorn manner.

“What in the world -” Misty turned around to face Eevee, surprised.

“Last Resort!” Eevee leapt lightly onto Misty’s head before charging at full speed towards a stunned Staryu, slamming it onto the ground. Blanche had a tiny smile on her face as she watched both Misty and Staryu succumb to shock. Yes, battling was definitely just like chess.

Misty, recovering from the initial shock, grinned. This trainer was definitely something - unlike the usual “Pikachu caught in Viridian Forest” or “Starter Pokemon Bulbasaur” teams she usually had to put up with at the gym.

“Now it’s our turn to show them what we’ve got! Whirlpool!” And Eevee was trapped in Staryu’s Whirlpool. It surfaced and resurfaced, helpless against the strong current, but Blanche did nothing. From the other girl’s confident smirk and the way her hand rested carelessly on her hips, Misty had something up her sleeve. Then she saw it. Staryu’s body was slowly, quietly, expanding. It had bent a little backwards, aiming for a spot outside the whirlpool.

Hydro Pump.

If Eevee got out of the whirlpool, what then? Being stuck in there would have damaged it less than a full-force Hydro Pump. Unfortunately, Eevee, being quite trapped, was panicking, and it fought to get out of the whirlpool. The moment it succeeded, Misty smiled with satisfaction. Blanche had a sudden, sinking feeling. This would not be good. There was no time to calculate anything. She had to think, fast, before Misty told Staryu to attack.

“Hydro Pump!”

“Last Resort!”

The two voices commanded as one, and all of a sudden, the whole scene transformed into chaos. Eevee and Staryu shot apart, slamming into the huge trees at the ends of the clearing. Blanche stumbled, pushed backward by the force of the attacks. There was a scream. Then silence.

When the dust cleared, Blanche found Misty sitting on the ground, with Staryu. Eevee was just a short distance away from her, lying on its side with its eyes closed. Blanche picked it up carefully and made her way towards Misty, extracting a couple of Potions from her pocket.

The two worked silently to heal their Pokemon’s wounds - the only sound for a while was the hiss of the Potion sprays. After the two Pokemon were returned to their Pokeballs, Misty broke the silence.

“You know, you had a fair chance of winning back there.”

Blanche looked up, surprised. “You think so?”

“Yeah.” Misty nodded. “You’re not bad at this - for someone who claims to be  _ not _ into battling.” She smiled. “Let’s call it a draw.” She extended a hand, and Blanche shook it.

“A draw it is, then. But you say… that it might have turned out differently?”

“Correct.” Misty paused, as though thinking of words to say. “You most probably would have won, if not for the damage Eevee took from that first Water Gun.”

This was news. Blanche had thought that a small amount of damage wouldn’t make any difference to the outcome of the battle.

“Every health point matters,” Misty said, and Blanche realised that she had been thinking aloud, “but that’s not it.” She turned to look at Blanche. “Don’t you remember how Eevee took that hit?”

Blanche stared down at her hands. Yes, she remembered. The calculations took longer than expected, and Eevee couldn’t dodge fast enough.

“You shouldn’t calculate. That’s not a very good way to battle.”

Blanche shook her head. “There is no way I can -”   
“I know a better way.” Misty met her green eyes with a level gaze. Her smile was solemn, and she suddenly seemed both older and more innocent, somehow.

“Be one with your Pokemon. Flow like water. It doesn’t need to be perfect, as long as you both can adapt to any changes coming your way.” Seeing Blanche’s doubtful expression, she repeated with more emphasis. “You don’t need to be perfect all the time, you know. You don’t have to win. Just go with the flow. Trust in your instincts.”

Somehow, the phrase struck a chord with Blanche. Why did it sound so familiar? There was no way she’d heard it before. Misty smiled, again. She fished out a small gold medallion on a thin chain of the same colour, placing it in Blanche’s hand. On it was engraved the simple phrase. As she traced the letters of the words, a strange shiver crept up her spine.

_ trust in your instincts. _

 

A few weeks later…

The picture was so alike. The long hair. The severe expression. Even the face shape. There was just no way around it. Only the difference in the hair colour was apparent to Misty. She frowned, staring at the picture for a few seconds more, before putting it down abruptly and rushing back to the gym. Maybe - just maybe, she would finally have some news. A trainer of that talent couldn’t have just disappeared. Well, Red did, but that was so long ago, and besides, people did at least have some information about where he’d gone to (though why anyone would want to spend the rest of their lives on the top of Mt. Silver, isolated from everyone but for six Pokemon and the constant snow, was beyond her). This time, the information was naught. She was just there, and then suddenly, she wasn’t. But now, she might be able to get some leads.

The moment she picked up the phone, she heard a voice. But as she couldn’t figure out whether it came from the phone or from her brain, she continued to hold the device to her ear.

“Misty. What a - pleasure. Why did you see the need to contact me?” The voice sounded more tired than usual, and a little softer. Misty wasn’t sure if her question would be answered, but she asked anyway.

“Sabrina - do you know anything about a trainer named Blanche?”

There was silence on the other end of the line. 

“Sabrina?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a small gold medallion on a thin chain of the same colour


	5. lost and found

“Give it here, boy!” The shouts grew louder as they came closer. His legs ached and his arms shook with the strain of carrying the pale green egg in his arms. It was almost half as big as him, and blocked his face entirely. He could feel a long crack near the bottom of the egg as it bounced gently against his body. The ground was rocky and uneven, and he knew that if he fell, the egg would be badly bruised. 

Suddenly, the shouts ceased. Convincing himself that he had finally gained a huge enough lead, he stopped running and moved slower, peeking out from behind the egg occasionally to see where he was going. Up till now, he had been following a forest trail, but now he turned away from it and pushed his way through some thorny shrubs. A Butterfree fluttered anxiously away, and there was no song from the bird Pokemon. He followed the Butterfree, going in weaving paths through the thick foliage. But the Pokemon had never intended to lead him, for it flew higher up than he could see and disappeared. It had been running from something, he was sure of it, and he knew who it had been running from. 

“Return, Butterfree.” A sharp gasp hissed out of his mouth as the butterfly Pokemon obediently returned to its Pokeball which was held up in a black-gloved hand. “Now, give me the egg.” The hand reached out towards him, and, eyes widening in horror, he turned and ran, only to hit another one of the black-clothed people. He stumbled, sitting down hard on the ground. The rest of the group began emerging from the shrubbery around the boy, surrounding him completely. 

“What’s in that egg again?” one of them, who had a high, screechy voice asked.

“No idea. We weren’ told.” A gravelly voice replied.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does - holy Miltank.” The egg had begun to glow.

Slowly, a Pokemon emerged. It was the same colour as the egg, with a red belly, and a rocky tail. Its eyes were red with black markings, and there was a rocky formation on its head.

“That’s a  _ Larvitar _ .” The shocked voice broke the silence, and a babble of voices broke out.

“Wass a larvi-thing?”

“Larvi _ tar _ , you idiot.”

“Its final evolution is Tyranitar! No wonder we had to get it back.”

The baby Pokemon, Larvitar, watched the proceedings anxiously. The humans around it looked fierce, and it was beginning to be fearful of them.    


“Hello. My name is Spark. Do you want to be friends?” The gentle voice belonged to a small human, not much bigger than itself. The human looked very young and innocent, putting Larvitar at ease immediately. It stretched out its short arms, and the human took it into a soft hug.

“Now, boy, hand over the Pokemon and we’ll let you go.”

“No!” He stood up, legs shaking from Larvitar’s weight, and tried to run, but a rough hand caught his shirt sleeve and jerked him back to the circle of adults. The same hand reached out again to grab Larvitar, but to the surprise of everyone, the baby Pokemon reached out and viciously scratched the face of the man. He stumbled backwards, hand cupped over the bleeding cuts, and the rest of the group advanced towards him, albeit more warily.

“Go away!” he screamed at them, tears starting to his eyes. “Go away! You’re evil, all of you! Larvitar is my friend!”

His back hit a huge tree, and he flattened himself against it, his heart beating fast. “I know what you do to Pokemon! I’ll - I’ll report you!”

A ripple of grim laughter spread through the group, and one of them, a big, burly man, said savagely, “Look ‘ere, kid. ‘Oo you gonna r’port us to, huh? When we done wi’ yer yer ain’t gonna be nothin’ more’n a pile o’ ash. Juz ‘and ove’ dat egg, and we le’ yer go. Yer try to figh’, than yer gonna be in fer it.” He advanced further towards the boy and the Larvitar, hands outstretched to grab the Pokemon…

With a loud “crack”, a heavy branch fell from the tree, hitting him squarely on the head. The boy was shaking, and crackles of electricity fizzled around him. When he spoke, his voice was no longer harmless and scared, but rather, very scary indeed. In fact, the gaze he turned on the now cowering group was absolutely petrifying, full of rage and hatred. The Larvitar watched all this, its eyes widening with fear. But the boy - if he could still be called a boy - placed it onto the ground with utmost gentleness. It ran a few metres away, diving into a thick bush for cover.

“ _ YOU _ . HOW DARE YOU HURT THIS POKEMON. JUST BECAUSE IT IS RARE, AND POWERFUL? WELL,  _ I _ AM ALSO  _ RARE _ AND  _ POWERFUL _ , AND I AM GOING TO TEACH YOU A HUGE LESSON.  _ TOUCH THIS HUMAN AND HIS POKEMON AGAIN, AND YOU WILL BE  _ **_VERY SORRY_ ** .” 

The boy’s small body collapsed as he glowed bright yellow, and the ground shook as waves of electricity shot out of him, hitting anyone who was in range. The last of the group made to run, and with a yell, a huge explosion caught them, tossing them through the air like a pile of dolls.

Then the electricity disappeared, and the serene sounds of the forest slowly resumed. Larvitar, who had been unharmed, though very shocked, pushed itself out of the bush and made its way unsteadily towards Spark, who lay crumpled on the ground. It reached out to him, and he slowly opened his eyes, patting Larvitar on the head in a reassuring manner.    
“It’s okay, Larvitar. I’m fine.” He sat up, the colour draining from his face as he looked at the destruction around him, the charred ground, the mangled bodies, the fallen branch. When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse whisper.

“I - I did this?” Larvitar stared into his huge blue eyes for a while, before nodding, very slightly.

“Oh, no…” His lip trembled, and fat tears rolled down his cheeks, wracking his entire body with sobs. All the while, the same sentence kept replaying in his head.

_ I killed them! _

“I’m sorry, Larvitar,” he choked out. “You’re so young. And you had to see this… You shouldn’t stay here with me. I’m too dangerous. Find someone else to love you, okay?” Larvitar’s expression betrayed all its shock, and it shook its head desperately.

“Lar - larvitar!” it said, barreling into Spark’s arms for a hug. But he only held it for a few moments before pushing it away. He was smiling, but the smile was more sad than anything. He held Larvitar at arm’s length, looking seriously into the Pokemon’s eyes. 

“Go on, Larvitar. Don’t worry about me. I’m okay. I’ll - I’ll see you again, alright?” His lips were trembling again, and his eyes filled with tears. Larvitar shook its head emphatically, stomping its foot onto the ground. Tall stones erupted all around them, sealing them in and shielding the destruction outside from Spark’s eyes. He gave a watery smile, saying a quiet thank you to the little Pokemon. 

“Since you don’t want to leave… do you want to join my team?” He swiped at his eyes to take away the tears. “I’m becoming a Pokemon Trainer one day, when I’m ten.”

Larvitar’s eyes shone, and it nodded eagerly. “Larvitar!” it cheered, climbing onto Spark’s lap. 

“I want to show you something, Larvitar,” he said, reaching into his pocket, feeling around for the chain and medallion he always carried. But there was nothing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beware the child with blood on their hands


End file.
